A letter from the Casino Auctioneers’ Association expressing its strong opposition to the sale was received by the council yesterday.

Cr Charlie Cox said the issue of whether or not the saleyards should be retained by the council had ‘sparked a great deal of interest in how we operate the complex’.

“The community is reassuring us we are doing a good job,” he said.

Legal advice was sought by the council about how it and the ratepayers could be protected if the complex was sold.

The advice received included what measures could be taken to ensure the complex continued as a beef cattle selling facility.

At last night’s council meeting councillors also voted to adopt the 2010/13 management plan, which included a projected budget deficit of $482,700.

Councillors also voted to adopt a climate change scenario to be used in planning in which sea levels would be as much as 900mm above sea level by 2100 and there would an increase in rainfall in Northern NSW by as much as 10 per cent by 2070.